When your child shows signs of illness or injury, you don't take chances — you make a doctor's appointment. After all, you know a health professional is the best one to advise you on keeping your child well. Why, then, would you hesitate to talk to a doctor about your child's weight?

Excess weight can be just as dangerous in the long run as an ear infection or the flu is in the short term. What looks to you like cute, lingering baby fat could lead to diabetes, heart disease, or a number of other serious health conditions down the road. If your child is overweight, don't wait until serious problems surface — talk to a doctor about it now.

When pediatric gastroenterologist Dr. William Muinos, of Miami Children's Hospital, evaluates a child's weight, he first looks at the child's body mass index (BMI) and compares it with the BMIs of other kids the same age. He then gauges health risks by monitoring thyroid function, body fat percentage, and levels of cholesterol and vitamins. Based on this information, he recommends changes to the family's eating and exercise habits to help the child achieve a healthier condition. Your doctor should be able to make similar recommendations for your family — or refer you to someone else who can.

So if you haven't talked about your child's weight with your doctor, what are you waiting for? Make an appointment today.